Important health numbers

The American Heart Association recommends that you know five important numbers about your health:

Total cholesterol

HDL (good) cholesterol

Blood pressure

Blood sugar

Body Mass Index (BMI).

These numbers are important because they help your doctor find out your chance of developing heart disease or heart problems. This can include chest pain, heart attack and stroke.

You can control or treat some things that increase your chance of getting heart disease and stroke. Some risk factors that can be controlled are high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity.

Talk with a doctor to learn about your health numbers and what is normal for you. You can make an appointment at a Parkland clinic at 214.266.4000.